CHAPTER II

Now Jimmy had no intention of going to the "hop." He had tried
to tell Alfred so a dozen times during dinner, but each time he
had been interrupted by one of Alfred's enthusiastic rhapsodies
about Zoie.

"Most marvellous girl I have ever met!" exclaimed Alfred over his
soup. "So sensible; so modest. And did you see how simply she
dresses?" he asked. Jimmy recalled his first vision of billowy
fluff; but before he could answer, Alfred had continued
excitedly:

"I'll tell you what first attracted me toward her." He looked at
Jimmy as though he expected some especial mark of gratitude for
the favour about to be bestowed; then he explained with a serious
weighing of his words, "It was her love of children. I had
barely been introduced to her when she turned her back upon me
and gave her whole attention to Professor Peck's little boy
Willie. I said to myself, 'any girl of that age who prefers
children to young chaps of my age, is the girl for me.' "

"I see," assented Jimmy lamely. It was his first remark during
dinner.

"After that, I no longer hesitated. You know, Jimmy, I have
decision."

"Yes, I have noticed," admitted Jimmy, without conviction.